The present invention relates to an optical and electric signals transmission apparatus, an optical and electric signals transmission system, and electronic equipment using the optical and electric signals transmission system, which perform transmission of optical and electric signals including high-speed optical signal.
Conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatuses transmitting both of an optical signal and an electric signal include a “plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device” disclosed in JP 6-140106 A (patent document 1). FIG. 41 is a front view of a receptacle (holder) 1 of the plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device, and FIG. 42 is a side view of the holder. FIG. 43 is a side view of an optical plug 2 which is attached to the holder 1.
In the plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device disclosed in the patent document 1, an optical transmitting device 3 or an optical receiving device 4 is accommodated in the holder 1 equipped with a mechanism of fitting and holding the optical plug 2 having an optical fiber cable 5. A hole for fitting and holding the optical plug 2 is formed in the holder 1 along the optical axis of the holder 1. The optical plug 2 is inserted along the optical axis in the hole 6 of the holder 1 and is thereby fitted and held at a predetermined position, so that optical coupling for optical signal transmission becomes possible.
Lead terminals 7 in FIGS. 41 and 42 are signal input terminals for the optical transmitting device 3. Lead terminals 8 are output terminals for the optical receiving device 3. The reference numeral 9 denotes lead terminals for electric signal transmission.
FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view showing the state that the optical plug 2 has been inserted in the holder 1. FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view showing the state that an electric plug 10 has been inserted in the holder 1 and electric signal transmission is possible. In FIG. 45, electrodes 11a, 11b, and 11c of the electric plug 10 are electrically connected with corresponding connecting terminals 9a, 9b, and 9c of lead terminals 9. As described above, in the plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device disclosed in the patent document 1, optical signal transmission is possible when the optical plug 2 has been inserted in the holder 1, and electric signal transmission is possible when the electric plug 10 has been inserted in the holder 1.
Furthermore, conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatuses include a “connecting device” disclosed in JP 62-193208 U (patent document 2). FIG. 46 shows a male connecting component (plug) 15 and a female connecting component (jack) 16 of this connecting device. Both of an optical signal and an electric signal are transmitted by inserting a connecting projection (inserted portion) 17 of the male connecting component 15 into a socket 18 of the female connecting component 16.
As a cable to be connected, a composite cord constituted by an optical fiber 19 and a plurality of electric signal transmission wires is used, and the connecting projection 17 which contains the optical fiber 19 along the axis and has a plurality of conductors 20, 21, and 22 arranged in the axis direction on the periphery is mounted on an end portion of the composite cord. The female connecting component 16 has a shielding conductor 23 which is electrically connected to the first conductor 20 of the connecting projection 17 when the connecting projection 17 is inserted in the socket 18, an Lch conductor 24 which is electrically connected to the second conductor 21 of the connecting projection 17 when the connecting projection 17 has been inserted in the socket 18, an Rch conductor 25 which is electrically connected to the third conductor 22 of the connecting projection 17 when the connecting projection 17 has been inserted in the socket 18, and an optical element 26 which is optically coupled to an end portion 19a of the optical fiber 19 when the connecting projection 17 has been inserted in the socket 18.
According to the connecting device disclosed in the patent document 1, it becomes possible to select both or either of optical signal transmission and electric signal transmission. However, it is not described that the connecting device is used along with a small single head electric plug, and the connecting device is a connector used exclusively for optical and electric signals transmission.
Furthermore, conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatuses include a “plug-jack type connector” disclosed in JP 61-108 U (patent document 3). FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the plug of the plug-jack type connector. The plug has terminal portions for electrical connection 31 and 32, and a transmitting optical fiber 33 and a receiving optical fiber 34 which penetrate the terminal portions for electrical connection 31 and 32 to an end face of the plug. FIG. 48 shows the sate that the plug has been fitted in the jack. In FIG. 48, the terminal portion for electrical connection 31 of the plug is connected with a conductor for power supply 36 of the jack 35, and the terminal for electrical connection 32 is connected with a grounding conductor 37 of the jack 35. In addition, the jack 35 has a light-emitting element 38 and a light-receiving element 39, which are optically coupled with a transmitting optical fiber 33 and a receiving optical fiber 34, respectively, to perform optical signal transmission.
However, the conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatuses have the following problems. The plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device disclosed in the patent document 1 is able to transmit an optical signal and an electric signal, but is not able to transmit an optical signal and an electric signal at the same time as described above. Furthermore, the plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device is structured in such a manner that the optical plug 2 is covered with the holder 1, which constitutes a large restriction on miniaturization of the device. In addition, the optical plug 2 must be moved along the optical axis when the optical plug 2 is inserted in and extracted from the holder 1, so that a region for the insertion and extraction having a length longer than the length of the optical plug 2 must be kept in front of the insertion opening of the holder 1 on a printed circuit board on which the holder 1 is mounted. Thus, any component can not be disposed in the region on the printed circuit board.
From the reason stated above, the plug and jack type optical and electric common use transmission device disclosed in the patent document 1 has a problem that it is unsuitable for being mounted on portable equipment which is going to be reduced in size and thickness.
Furthermore, it has been realized by the connecting device disclosed in the patent document 2 that an optical signal and an electric signal are transmitted by a small and thin device. However, in the patent document 2, only a mechanism realizing electrical contacts is disclosed, and a precision positioning mechanism and a fitting and holding mechanism for the plug and jack necessary for optical coupling are not described. In addition, like the conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatus disclosed in the patent document 1, the connecting device is structured in such a manner that the connecting projection 17 is covered with the female connecting component 16, which constitutes a large restriction on miniaturization of the device. In addition, a region for insertion and extraction having a length longer than the length of the connecting projection 17 must be kept in front of the socket 18 on a printed circuit board on which the female connecting component 16 is mounted. Thus, no component can be disposed in the region on the printed circuit board.
Furthermore, in the plug-jack type connector disclosed in the patent document 3, a hybrid plug and jack is provided for an optical signal and an electrical signal, and two-way communication by an optical signal and an electric signal is realized. However, the optical plug is structured so as to partially have metal blades for electrical contacts and covered with the jack 35, like the conventional optical and electric signals transmission apparatus disclosed in the patent document 1, which constitutes a large restriction on miniaturization of the connector. In addition, a region for the insertion and extraction of the plug having a length larger than the length of the plug must be kept in front of the plug insertion opening of the jack 35 on a printed circuit board on which the jack 35 is mounted. Thus, no component can be disposed in the region on the printed circuit board.
From the reason stated above, the connecting device disclosed in the patent document 2 or the plug-jack type connector disclosed in the patent document 3 also has a problem that it is unsuitable for being mounted on portable equipment which is going to be reduced in size and thickness.